Electric igniter for explosive-engines.



No. 657,760. Patented Sept, H, I900. l. H. DAVIS. ELECTRIC IGNITER FUR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed Nov. 18, 1899. (N0 Modem 3 Sheets-Shee l.

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No. 657,761 Patented Sept. H, I900.

' I. H. DAVIS.

ELECTRIC IGNITEB FUR EXPLOS'IVE ENGINES.

(Application filed Nov. 18, 1899.]

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No. 657,760. Patented Sept. 0, I900. H. DAVIS.

ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed Nov. 18, 1899.;

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UNrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC H. DAVIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO E. D. MELLEN, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR EXPLOSIVE-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,760, dated September 11, 1900.

Application filed November 18,1899. Serial No.737,4=08. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: between which the sparks which ignite the Be it known that I, ISAAC H. DAVIS, of Bosexplosive mixture in the cylinder are proton, in the county of Suffolk and State of Masduced. Said ignition-points are included in sachusetts, have invented certain new and the secondary circuit of an induction-coil 13, 55 useful Improvements in Explosive-Engines, whose primary circuit includes a battery 14 of which the following is a specification. 1 or other suitable source of electrical energy. Thisinvention relates to explosive-engines; is a condenser connected in shunt relation and it consists in certain improvements therewith the primary circuit, and 16 17 are ourin which I shall now proceed to describe and rent-carrying contacts or brushes included in I I0 claim. said circuit. 18 is a shaft revolved by the Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 engine mechanism a predetermined number represents a side elevation of a portion of an of times for one revolution of the engine engine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 crank-shaft, the shaft 18 being revolved once represents a sectional view thereof on the for every two revolutions of the crank-shaft I5 line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3representsa partial in a four-cycle engine. 19 is a disk or wheel side elevation showing certain parts in a difof insulating material secured to the shaft 18 ferent position from Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents andhaving a conductive ring 20, with which an enlarged side elevation, with parts broken the brush 16 is normally in continuous conaway, of the igniting-circuit breaker and retact. 21 is an isolated section of conductive 2o lated parts. Fig. 5representsasimilarview, material embedded in the periphery of the showing parts in a difierent position. Fig. 6 disk 19 and adapted to make contact with the represents a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4:. brush 17 once in each revolution of said disk. Fig. 7 represents a plan view of said device 22 is a block of conductive material electricwith the casing in section. Fig. 8 represents ally connected with the conductive ring 20 7 25 a front elevation of the governor in action. through a screw 23. The blocks 21 and 22 Fig. 9 represents a diagrammatic View of the are normally connected electrically by means igniting-circuit. of a U-shaped conductive piece 24, forming The same reference characters indicate the part of a speed governor, hereinafter do same parts in all the figures. scribed, the construction and operation being 0 Referring to the drawings, 1 is the enginesuch that the primary circuit is made and cylinder, 2 is the check-valve admitting fuel broken between the brush 17 and the contact thereto, and 3 is the main exhaust-opening, 21 once for every revolution of the shaft 18, controlled by the exhaust-valve 4, which is and a spark is thereby produced between the regularly operated by suitable cams (not igniting-points 11 and 12. The brushes 16 17 3 5 shown) connected with the crank-shaft of the are mounted upon a normally-stationary but engine, so as to exhaust the exploded contents adjustable disk 25, of insulating material, of the cylinder. The stem 5 of exhaust-valve which is adapted to have a rotary movement 4 is provided with a collar 6, upon which a concentrically with the shaft 18. Assuming spring 7 exerts longitudinal tension tending the rotation of the shaft 18 to be clockwise in 40 to close the valve. the direction of the arrow, it is evident that 8 is a dog pivoted at 9 to the frame of the a movement of the brush-carrying disk 25 in engine and adapted to be swung into the path the direction of rotation of said shaft will of the collar 6, so as to hold the exhaust-valve time the explosion later in the receding stroke 4 open, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A spring of the engine-piston, while a contrary move- 5 1O normally holds the dog 8 in an inactive ment will time the explosion earlier in said position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, said dog bestroke. The speed of the engine is thereby ing moved into an active position during the varied, for the explosion has less and less efcessation of the sparking action, as hereinfeet in rotating the crank-shaft as it occurs after explained. nearer to the end of the receding stroke of mo 50 Referring to Fig. 9, 11 12 represent the the piston. As the disk 25 approaches the ignition points inside of engine cylinder, limit of its clockwise movement the ignitingcircuit may be broken entirely by causing an extension of the brush 16 to abut against a fixed cam-stud 26, as illustrated in Fig. 5, whereby the contact part of the brush is lifted away from the conductive ring 20. An effective starting and stopping switch is thereby is always opened or closed at a point where the explosion is less effective. By the use of this device there is therefore no danger of accident by reason of the engine starting at its full power while it may be running at a slow speed and connected to the mechanism which it drives.

To rotate the brush=carrying disk 25, I

have illustrated 'a device comprising a flexible cord 27, preferably attached to the periphery of the disk by a suitable device, such as the staple 28, Fig. 7, and having one end connected to a spring 29 and the other end passing to a suitable point within the reach of the operator or attendant. spring is attached to a suitable fixed support, and the spring exerts a tension which constantly tends to rotate the disk 25 in a switchopening direction. The operators end of the cord 27 may be caught upon a hook or otherwise suitably secured and adapted to be released when the brush-disk is to be operated.

30 is a projection upon the disk 25 adapted to engage the heel of the dog 8 at the limit of the switch-opening movement of said disk and to move said dog against the tension of its spring 10 from the position illustrated in started up, so as to relieve the compression in the cylinder.

Should the valve controlling the fuel-supi ply be left open while the engine is running and the ignition is suspended, the fuel will 1 not be wasted by the opening of the checkvalve 2 during the receding stroke of the piston, which occurs when only the usual small relief-valve opening is provided. Said suction is disposed of through the large exhaust-opening.

The governor is constituted as follows; The U-shaped metal part 24, which normally connects the metal blocks 21 and 22, is'

mounted upon the face of an insulatingblock 31, which is attached to the end of a spring-arm 32, carriednby a pivot-stud 33. The latter is journaled in the face of the disk 19, eccentric to the shaft 18, and is formed with gear-teeth 34L, engaged by a screw-thread 35, formed on a pin 36. Said pin screws into a radial socket in the disk 19, and is also passed through a transverse hole in the end of the shaft 18, so as to afiord a means for ati .36 inward to its seat. provided, and it is to be noted that this switch j The end of the taching the disk 19 to the shaft 18. It will be observed that when the pin 36 is screwed up to give the desired tension to the spring 32 said tension will be exerted through the pinion-stud 33 in a direction to hold the pin Centrifugal force being exerted radially on the free ends of the spring-arm 32, carrying the U-shaped piece 24, will have a component which tends to rotate the end of the arm about the stud 33 as a center, and when a certain speed, deter mined by the tension of the spring-arm 32, has been attained the U -shaped piece 24 will be thrown away from the contact-blocks 21 22, as shown in Fig. 8, and the ignitingcircnit will accordingly be broken and the explosion in the cylinder will cease until the speed has been reduced. The circuit being broken simultaneously at two points between the ends of the U-shaped piece 24; and the contact-blocks 21 and 22 no spark or a very inconsiderable spark will be produced by the break.

I claim- 1. In an electric igniter for explosive-em gines, the combination of an engine-revolved contact and a cooperating stationary contact, means to effect a relative concentric adjustment of said contacts to vary the occurrence of ignition with respect to the power-stroke of the engine, and means operated by the adj usting movement for throwing the contacts into and out of coacting relation.

2. In an explosive-engine, the combination of an igniting device, adjusting means associated therewith and adapted to vary the point in the engine-cycle at which ignition occurs,

an outlet from the engine-cylinder, a valve controlling said outlet, and a device operated by movement of said adjusting means, for controlling said valve.

3. In an igniter for explosive-engines, a circuit-breaker comprising an engine-revolved contact or circuit-terminal, a current-carry-- ing brush cooperating therewith, a normallystationary support carrying said brush and adjustable concentrically with the engine-revolved contact, and a fixed cam-abutment arranged to engage said brush after a predetermined adjusting movement of said support in the direction of revolution of the contact, and to thereby move the brush out of coacting relation with the contact.

4:. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination with the engine, of a circuit breaker comprising an engine revolved part and a normally-stationary adj ustable part, an outlet from the engine-cylinder, a valve controlling said outlet, and mechanism operated by movement of said adjustable part for holding said valve open.

5. In an apparatus of the character specified, the, combination with the main exhaustvalve of the engine, of a device for holding said valve open, a circuit-breaker comprising an engine-revolved part and a normally-sta tionary adjustable part, and a member confied, the combination with the main exhaust.

valve of the engine and the spring holding said valve to its seat, of a dog adapted to hold the valve open when opened by other means, a circuit-breaker comprising an engine-revolved part and a normally-stationary adjustable part, and a member connected with said adjustable part and adapted to engage said dog and place it in operative position during movement of said adjustable part.

7. In an apparatus of the character specified, an engine-revolved support, a contact fixed thereto and forming a part of the igniting-circuit, an arm constructed as a spring and having a contact forming a part of the igniting-circuit, said contacts being separable by centrifugal force to break the circuit, a stud supporting said spring-arm and having gear-teeth, and a rotatable screw engaging said teeth and adapted to adjust the tension of the spring-arm.

8. In an apparatus of the character specified, an engine rotated shaft, a support mounted thereon, contacts mounted on said support and forming part of an igniting-circuit, said contacts being separable by centrifugal force to break the circuit, a spring to hold the contacts together, and a pin rotatable to adjust the tension of said spring and also serving as a key to lock the support to the shaft, the key being held to its seat by the tension of the spring.

9. In an apparatus of the character specified, an engine rotated shaft, a support mounted thereon, a speed-governor mounted on said support and including a spring, and a member movable to adjust the tension of said spring and acting as a key to secure the support to the shaft, which key is held to its seat by the tension of the spring.

10. In an apparatus of the character specified, an igniting-circuit breaker including an engine-revolved support having a conductive ring and an isolated segmental contact, and a spring-resisted connector mounted on said support and adapted to connect said ring and said contact and to be separated from the two simultaneously by centrifugal force to break the igniting-circuit.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC H. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

R. M. PIERSON, M. B. MAN. 

